Filling the Gap
by merbear92
Summary: (my version of) what happens between the season finale and the X-mas episode, and then after the X-mas episode
1. Chapter 1

***the living room, immediately following the conclusion of the Jersey episode***

"Mel?" Joe questions.

Mel opens her mouth but struggles for the words to force out. "Joe... Austin just stopped by... I..."

Mel stumbles so Joe cuts her off with a "well I hope you two have fun catching up" and practically runs to his room. Mel watches him go, wearing a horrified expression even after he disappears from view.

***Joe's bedroom***

Joe is packing furiously. Mel bursts in, opening her mouth to say something before realizing she doesn't know what it is she wants to say. After a few short seconds she notices that Joe is packing... and therefore he is leaving.

"What are you doing?" she half-shouts.

"Packing. I have to go." He replies curtly.

Mel watches in silence and saddened confusion as Joe stuffs in the last few muscle shirts his backpack can hold and turns to leave.

Suddenly, Mel blocks the door, blurting "Please don't go." She racks her brain for a reason. "The kids need you." she finally exclaims.

"Lennox and Ryder will be fine. They're practically all grown up." Joe replies.

"Well I need you!"

Joe looks in her eyes, searching them for something to make him stay. He believes her when she says she needs him. She's always needed him... just not in the way he needs her. Finally he looks down and back up again and asks "Don't you need to get back down to Austin? He's still here, isn't he?" He wants her to say no... to either question... to both of them... but she doesn't.

"Yeah, he's still here." Mel replies.

"What are you going to do Mel?"

"I don't know. I don't know..."

Of course she doesn't, Joe thinks. His mind races slowly... She could make this so easy. All she has to do is say she doesn't love him, that Austin means nothing to her and that Joe means the world. No, she wouldn't even have to say that to make him stay... just something, something to give him hope that she wants the same thing he does.

Mel doesn't say anything.

He exhales, feeling his heart drop. "I need to go now, Mel."

"You can't Longo! You can't just go without giving me any notice! Who will take care of the kids? I have meetings all week!" she says, knowing full well her schedule for the upcoming week is unusually light.

"So what? So you're going to keep a man from his beloved grandmother's funeral?" Joe snaps in a disbelieving tone.

Mel steps aside from the door. "I... No... I guess not... So you'll be back after the funeral?"

Joe looks at her and then turns, opens the door, and exits, leaving Mel standing alone, feeling her heart drop.


	2. Chapter 2

***the kitchen***

Mel fills a glass vase with fresh water and then places a beautiful bouquet of flowers, the same bouquet Austin had given her just days before, in it. She moves a few of the flowers around and then steps back to admire her work.

Suddenly Lennox barges down the back steps. "Are you ready, Aunt Mel?"

"Almost. Where's your brother?"

"He's just finishing up now." Lennox replies.

"Ok. Throw your bags in the car and I'll be ready in a minute." Mel says, then scurries out of the kitchen to get her own luggage.

***in the car***

Lennox listens to her iPod and smiles to herself, glad that she finally convinced her Aunt Mel that they should all go to support Joe at Nona's funeral. Doing so had been no small feat, but thankfully Austin had helped to convince her Aunt that it was the right thing to do.

***the next day; inside a large church***

Mel, Lennox, and Ryder move to take their seats in one of the back pews of the crowded church. Mel can't help but notice Joe, his back towards her, at the front of the church.

A minute later, Joe and his family sit in the front pews, and the ceremony begins.

***inside Nona's house***

Joe is talking to a small group of mourners. He thanks them for coming to the ceremony and turns to see Mel staring at him from across the room. Even though he had no idea she was coming, he recognizes her instantly. Mel freezes momentarily, then quickly stands and sprints to the kitchen. As she rummages around, looking for something to drink, something to ease her utterly unnerved body, Joe enters.

"Mel, what are you doing here? I had no idea you were coming." Joe says as he approaches her. He has to stop short of grabbing her at the elbows and drawing her closer to him. He doesn't know why he was inclined to do so in the first place. To comfort her? He sees that something is wrong, but, well, he HAD left to get away from her... and yet his heart aches at her evident pain.

"Lennox and Ryder convinced me." Mel says slowly. She meets Joe's eyes and then quickly looks left, then right, then everywhere that isn't Joe's questioning face. "Don't you have any alcohol in this place? I'm trying to drown my sorrows here!"

"Your sorrows?"

"Yeah! Uh... about Nona's death that is. You know, she was a really sweet old lady."

Joe shakes his head as he pulls out a bottle and two wine glasses. He knows her too well to believe that Nona's passing is the only thing upsetting her. He pours a glass and hands it to Mel and then pours one for himself. He leans against the counter and they both begin to drink.

After several minutes of silence, Joe can't help but ask... "So... How did things go with Austin? Are you two back together now?"

"NO. I mean no" Mel replies sharply. She doesn't know why she suddenly feels so defensive about the situation. She doesn't know why she's hurt by the fact that Joe is so quick to assume that she welcomed Austin back with open arms. She doesn't know why she feels, deep down, that Joe was the reason she couldn't take Austin back. She doesn't understand the feelings swirling inside her. She knows and understands nothing of the complicated mess she feels herself invisibly muddled in, and so she drinks.

Several more minutes pass before Mel begins to speak. "Are you coming back, Joe?" Suddenly, she begins to tear up. Something is wrong, even if she doesn't know what it is, or how things should be, or how to fix them. Joe sees all this and moves to hug her.

"You were so angry when you left. I didn't know if you were leaving for a week... or for good." Mel manages. As she says this, Joe spies Lennox and Ryder, who are spying on himself and Mel. Lennox makes an encouraging gesture, which Joe takes to mean he should tell her he'll come back. Ryder just plain looks confused.

Joe rubs Mel's back and tells her that of course he is coming back.

"I had to leave for Nona's funeral but I think we all know that if I left Lennox and Ryder in your care, with your cooking, I'd have two more funerals to go to before long." Joe joked. Mel hit him, the tears quickly receding from her eyes, false anger replacing them.

"You could at least pour me another drink before you start throwing out the jokes, Longo." Mel remarked. "Maybe once I'm drunk they'll start to be funny!" They turn away from each other and smile.

***in the car***

"It was really nice of you guys to come to the funeral." Joe says quietly, so as not to wake Mel and Ryder. "How did you convince your Aunt to come anyways? I do know it was your idea, you know."

"Eh, in honesty it was really Austin who convince her to go." Lennox whispers back.

Joe is momentarily stunned. "Huh?"

"Yeah, he kept showing up at our house with flowers and presents, asking Aunt Mel to reconsider, to give him a chance. I think once she realized going to Jersey would mean getting away from Austin, at least for a few days, she was pretty sold on the idea." Lennox laughs.

Joe can't help chuckling to himself either. Mel may not yet have the courage be with him, but hell, at least she had the courage to turn down Austin, Mr. Perfect, and that's a start, Joe thinks to himself.

"So what is your Aunt doing with all these flowers and presents anyways?" Joe asks, picturing a mess of petals and wrapping paper for him to clean up upon their return.

"Well," replies Lennox, "she didn't accept any of them, except for that first bouquet, of course. I asked her why she kept those flowers and she said looking at them reminds her. Then she said something about how the flowers had already bloomed when Austin gave them to her and how they looked perfect in that moment but would quickly fade and die. I think she knew that her relationship with Austin, if she got back with him, would be the same... perfect at first but not lasting, when what she really wants is... what words did she use?... oh... a love that will take her from the earth to the moon. Pretty deep for Aunt Mel, huh?"

Joe smiles.


	3. Chapter 3

***in the kitchen***

Lennox looks over to Mel and Joe from the table where she sits doing her homework. Convinced that Lennox and her brother might starve without him, her nanny is teaching her Aunt how to make lasagna before he leaves to visit his family for Christmas. Lennox watches discreetly as Joe patiently shows her Aunt Mel what she needs to do. She knows that Joe loves her Aunt and that her Aunt loves Joe too, even if Mel doesn't know it yet. Lennox also knows that Joe, too, knows all of this. What she doesn't know is when, exactly, Joe is planning to make his grand gesture, the one Lennox had hinted at in the car. What she doesn't know is that Joe has, in fact, already taken her Aunt "from the earth to the moon".

Mel takes a sip of wine before turning back to the lasagna. In the past few weeks she has calmed down considerably, no longer the anxious mess she was at Nona's funeral. She attributes this change to the fact that Austin has FINALLY stopped harassing her. She supposes it could be because Joe is back too, although she'd never admit that. Suddenly, a jolt of electricity moves through her body, stimulating her nerves all over again. She turns her head just slightly to the right, so that she can see Joe's fingers grazing hers as he lays a layer of pasta in the dish. His hands retreat to find the next piece of pasta to place, leaving her desperate to feel as she had before. She moves her fingers just slightly to the right, pretending to adjust the perfectly laid pasta, so that as Joe moves to place the next piece his fingers brush softly against hers yet again. This is the feeling he has left her desperate to feel again - not the calm of just minutes before, but the tingling jolt she feels at the touch of his skin.


	4. Chapter 4

***the living room, a few days after the Christmas episode***

"When is Joe getting back?" asks Ryder as he bounces down the stairs.

Joe had spent Christmas with Mel, Lennox, and Ryder, but had caught a plane to New Jersey the next day to visit his family. It is now the morning of New Year's Eve and the trio is awaiting his return. Neither Ryder nor Lennox, however, is as anxious for Joe's return as Mel, who is trying hard not to show her excitement.

"Oh I don't know..." Mel replies as nonchalantly as possible. "Soon, I guess."

Mel is lounging on the couch, pretending to read one of her magazines but actually replaying a scene between her and her nanny over and over in her head. As Ryder passes through the door to the kitchen, Mel closes her eyes and goes back to those precious few moments, carved into her memory since they occurred just days before. After a few seconds Mel is fully engulfed in the memory. She can feel Joe's warm, firm muscles against her fists as she playfully punches him in the stomach. She can recapture the faint smell of peppermint on his breath, likely from a candy cane he had stolen from the tree. She can see him moving in towards her, his soft, strong hands gently grasping her forearms. She can sense him moving in for a kiss.

Lennox barges into the living room with her brother in tow, interrupting Mel's trance just as they had interrupted Mel and Joe in the kitchen just days before. The two are bickering about something. Mel can't catch what it is before they climb the stairs and are again out of sight, leaving Mel to return to her thoughts.

Mel sulks at the disruption of her fantasy... and in Mel's mind that is exactly what it is. The scene, or it's ending at least, cannot rightfully be called a memory... Joe had not been leaning in to kiss her. Mel had decided that days ago, on Christmas night, after she had been kept up replaying the events in her head for hours more than she would have liked. No, Joe wasn't going to kiss her. It didn't matter that they had slept together, or that he had mentioned - briefly - the possibility of, of something between them. Mel knows better than to expect romance to work out for her. She even knows better than to hope for such.

At this precise moment, Joe opens the front door, shakes off the snowflakes that have accumulated on his coat, and walks in.

Mel knows better than to expect, better than to hope, but after Christmas, after being left to her thoughts over the past several days, she knows something else too - she is in love with Joe Longo.


	5. Chapter 5

***the living room, a few hours later***

Joe enters having finished unpacking his suitcase. Mel is lounging on the couch with her magazines and some wine.

"So, how much didya miss me?" asks Joe as he sits on the arm of the couch. He looks at her with that little smirk of his.

"Ughhh" Mel groans as she reaches for the wine bottle.

"Ah ah ah" sing-shouts Joe as he swiftly moves toward the bottle, grasping its neck and moving it out of Mel's reach. "You know, it's really unhealthy to drown your feelings with alcohol, Burke."

"Ugh. What? Give me back my bottle Joe. The only thing I'm feeling right now is annoyance - at you." Mel retorts.

"Fine..." says Joe "but first you have to admit that you missed me."

"Joe!"

"Burke."

"Ughhh fine... I missed you..." Joe slowly begins to return the bottle to Mel "...ur cooking! I missed your cooking!" and he yanks the bottle away again.

"Oh come on Joe!" whines Mel.

"Oh come on Burke, why is it sooo hard for you to admit that you missed me?"

"because," says Mel as she rises from her place on the couch and slowly moves towards Joe "it's no longer that special time of year to lie to those you love, and if I said I missed you, I'd be lying."

"Oh so you won't say you missed me but you WILL admit you love me?" says Joe with a delighted smirk.

"UGHHH!" Mel lunges at Joe and he raises the wine as far above his head as his muscular arms will allow. Mel jumps for it but Joe swiftly moves the bottle to her right. She jumps, and misses, again. Mel tries a different tactic - she stands on her tiptoes and slowly approaches Joe, reaching her hand towards the bottle. Suddenly, she loses her balance. Her pointed toes quickly move forward to steady her before planting themselves right before Joe. Her hands, without her permission and yet to her secret delight, fly to Joe's chest to keep her from falling.

They stand like that for a moment. Joe smirks more.

"Ugh" Mel groans. She doesn't want Joe to catch on that she likes this little game so she removes her hands from his body and excuses herself to begin getting ready for that night's New Year's Eve banquet at City Hall.

***the living room, a few minutes later***

Joe is on the couch watching football. Lennox and Ryder come down the stairs and shout a quick 'bye!' to Joe.

"Hold up! Where are you two going?" asks Joe.

"I'm going to Kayla's house for her New Year's Eve party and I'm dropping Ryder off at his friend's house on the way." replies Lennox matter-of-fact-ly.

"Does your Aunt know?"

"That Ryder has a friend? It's unbelievable, I KNOW." Lennox sees the look on Joe's face and finishes "Yes, she knows... and she's already lectured us about being responsible... so there's really no need to do it again."

"Ok." says Joe. "Have fun tonight."

"Thanks! Bye Joe!" shout Lennox and Ryder in unison.

***the living room, an hour later***

Joe is still watching football as Mel gracefully walks down the steps in a long, form-fitting evening gown. The fabric is midnight blue and shimmers with each step she takes.

Joe turns around and inhales sharply. She looks beautiful. "Damn Burke." he gets out.

"Well thank you Joe, I'll take that as a compliment." she says, twirling around for him before moving to the front window. She peers outside. "Jeez!" she says, looking outside "The snow is really coming down!"

Joe gets up and walks to the window to look for himself. Mel is right - the snow is coming down fast and thick. The roads are covered with at least 8 inches of it. "Mel, I'm not so sure you're going to be going anywhere tonight." he says, just as the phone starts to ring. Mel looks at Joe and then goes to answer it.

After about a minute Mel hangs up and says sullenly "The banquet is cancelled."

Joe, who has been looking at his own phone, says "I'm not surprised. I just got texts from Lennox and Ryder... they're snowed in so they're going to sleep at their friends' houses tonight. Hopefully the roads will be clear enough for them to come home tomorrow morning."

Mel nods. Joe can see that she is thinking about something. "I'm really sorry that your banquet got cancelled, Burke... I know you were looking forward to all that gourmet food... and the free booze."

Mel moves to hit Joe but as he shields himself he shouts "hey, hey, I have an idea!" This stops Mel so he continues. "Why don't you let me make you a special dinner tonight... you know... since you can't go to yours..." Mel looks at him for a moment and then nods. "Ok, Joe. Thank you." They smile at each other. Joe awkwardly points back to the kitchen. "Well, ugh, I guess I better go get started." He turns to enter the kitchen as Mel watches him go.

***the kitchen, an hour later***

Mel is seated at the table, which is covered with a nice white tablecloth and candles, as Joe walks over carrying two delicious-looking dishes.

He sits down and they begin to eat, quickly exhausting all comments about the food and the weather... but this isn't a problem. They soon find themselves in their usual banter, laughing at their own numerous failed relationships, and even more at the other's. Then, just like that, the conversation takes a different tone:

"I don't know Joe. It's fun to _joke_ about our failed relationships, but, I don't know, I guess I'm just ready for something more... _serious_." Mel says. She means it... she IS ready. It's likely the wine, which she's been drinking since noon, but in this moment she is ready. She leans in. "Joe, do you remember when..."

As if in warning, or rather as if to play a cruel trick, the lights go out.


	6. Chapter 6

***the kitchen***

Mel freezes. The darkness has scared her, as if she were a child. She can't finish. Joe, distracted by the power outage, doesn't seem to notice.

Joe peeks out the window. "It looks like the whole block lost power." he says.

"Oh great."

"Why don't I pour you a glass of wine and then I'll start to clean up?"

Mel pictures Joe's hands grazing hers as they prepared lasagna together and sees the golden opportunity to feel his touch yet again. "No, that's ok. I'll help clean." she gently insists as she stands with her plate.

Joe retrieves his plate and joins Mel at the sink. She washes the dishes with soap and a sponge. Both savor each second their fingers "accidentally" meet as Mel passes the dishes to Joe to rinse. Too quickly, they are done.

Now, without the delightful chore to distract her, Mel suddenly realizes that she is quite cold. Without the heater running, the house is quickly dropping in temperature, getting closer and closer to the frosty climate outside.

"Joe, can you use the generator in the garage to get the heater running? I'm freezing!" she says, rubbing her hands together and moving her legs in an odd dance to keep warm.

"I could..." Joe says slowly. "...if the generator were in the garage."

"What do you mean?" questions Mel.

"I left it in New Jersey." he confesses.

Mel gives Joe a dirty look that he can only just make out in the candlelight. She may love him but she IS cold, damn it.

"I'm sorry!" he announces. "You remember we leant it to my family after the hurricane. I MEANT to bring it back after our visit, but..." Joe says softly, his voice slowing and deepening "but, you know, we left in kind of a hurry... and after everything that happened... It just was the last thing on my mind."

Mel's heart feels heavy. She knows that he isn't just talking about Nona's death. His words - "everything that happened" conjure many emotions inside of her, chiefly disappointment in herself - for leaving in a hurry, for running away.

"I'm sorry, Joe."

His voice is very soft now. "I'm the one who forgot the generator. What are you sorry for?"

It's a rhetorical question. She gives him an answer anyways.

"I'm sorry for everything. I'm sorry for running away from what happened... and from you. I'm sorry I didn't listen to you when you said that maybe we should give... us... a chance." She stumbles at the word "us." She isn't used to saying it aloud.

Joe takes a few steps toward her. He reaches out and grabs her hand, softly squeezing it. For the first time in what feels like forever their touch isn't accidental, or even supposed to be.


	7. Chapter 7

sorry for not posting a new chapter in a few days... I've been crazy busy. this one is kinda super short but I wanted to post before too long. hopefully I'll get another chapter out soon!

***the kitchen***

Joe doesn't let go. Mel looks down at her right hand, clasped firmly in Joe's left and takes a moment to memorize the feeling. Then, slowly, she turns her face to Joe's. He releases Mel's hand and moves his own to her forearm, lifting his right hand to her neck.  
She breathes in sharply. He leans in. Her mind races. They are standing in nearly the same spot they had been before but this time there is no interruption, no Lennox and Ryder bursting in the back door. This time Joe does what Mel has denied he had ever intended to do. He kisses her. Passionately. And then pulls away.


	8. Chapter 8

this is the last chapter of this story. i'm sorry it's so short, but after seeing previews for tonight's episode, this seemed like a good place to wrap things up.

***the kitchen***

Joe pulls away a bit, still holding Mel. They look at each other for a moment, before he pulls her in and hugs her tightly. Mel rests her head on his shoulder. They both ponder, silently, the fact that there is no going back, that things will never be the same.

Suddenly, Mel pulls away and grabs Joe's hand. She then slowly, shyly (for the first time in her life) leads him up the darkened staircase.

END


End file.
